


Forever Gone

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-06
Updated: 2015-06-06
Packaged: 2018-04-03 06:05:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4089793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which one bird returns to find another has left.</p><p>(aka: Damian's resurrection and Dick's faked death)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forever Gone

**Author's Note:**

> One of those ones where I was inspired by a comic book issue, thus wrote an incredibly short thing the day it was released.
> 
> This was around Forever Evil 7 or so, methinks.

Damian’s eyelids felt heavy as he tried to open them. He let out a small noise of frustration as he moved his head and a stream of sunlight splashed across his face. A chair nearby groaned as its occupant shifted. Damian felt the brush of fingers as a hand landed next to his arm. 

“Father?” Damian whispered, eyes squinting open. Everything was so blurry. The hand twitched against his skin. 

“No…no, Bruce is down in the cave.” It was Drake. Damian’s face must have instinctively scrunched up, as the older boy took hold of his arm. “It’s okay, Damian. Take your time. You’re safe now.” 

“Coming back to life is never easy.” That was Todd, but Damian didn’t have the energy to turn his head towards the voice. It sounded like he was across the room. Most likely by the window, if the sound of a curtain closing and the sudden loss of light was any indication. “Especially if you try to rush it.” 

Oh, that’s right. He had died. 

He blinked his eyes a few times, waiting for everything to come into focus. When it did, his gaze slipped over to Drake, who was leaning over the mattress, staring at him intently. Tim looked tired, and paler than normal. Damian could see a bruise at the collar of his shirt, and a healing cut on his lip.

“What happened?” Damian asked as Tim gave him a weak smile. 

“We got you back,” Drake said with some relief. “That’s…that’s all you need to know, Damian. We got you back.” 

“Father is in the cave…” 

“I’m telling him you’re awake right now.” Jason interjected. 

“…is Pennyworth with him?” 

“Yeah.” To Damian, Tim looked more broken than he’d ever been, but at the same time happy to see him. This didn’t make sense. In his haze, Damian couldn’t understand. “Or, actually. I think he’s in the kitchen making dinner. I can’t remember.” 

“What about Gordon? Brown? Cassandra?” 

“Covering for us while we stay with you.” Tim answered immediately. “They’ll be by to see you later.” 

“And Grayson?” 

Tim’s gaze immediately went distant as he glanced up at Jason. Slowly, he released Damian’s arm and sat back, like someone had suddenly said Damian was infectious. For a moment, no one said anything, so Damian repeated himself. “Where’s Grayson?” 

Tim remained unblinking, and Damian noticed the pooling of tears as his lips began to quiver. Damian narrowed his eyes as he carefully turned towards Jason. Jason was still at the window, phone in hand, facing the closed curtains. “Todd, where is Grayson?” 

“I’m…I’m sorry, Damian.” Tim whispered. Damian looked back at him and saw tears running down his face. “I’m so…so sorry, Damian.” 

“Why, what-” 

“Dick’s dead.” Jason said coldly. 

The tears ran down Tim’s face faster as Damian’s eyes widened. 

“Wha…” he muttered. Suddenly he sat up, head whipping around to look at Jason’s back. It was a terrible idea. Dizziness fogged his mind even more, and he felt Tim’s hands on his shoulders. “What do you mean Grayson’s dead?!” 

“He was killed. Kidnapped as Nightwing, exposed as Dick Grayson, killed by the Crime Syndicate.” Jason said, his voice dark. Damian could see his grip on the phone tightening. The screen cracked. “Not even twenty-four hours before we got you back, kid.” 

Damian stared in shock. His shoulders slumped and Tim wrapped his arms tightly around his neck. 

“I’m sorry, Damian.” He continued. Damian did nothing as he felt the tears splash against his throat. “I’m so sorry…” 

He had died. Been dead for…who knows how long. And suddenly, more than anything, he wished he still was. 

~~ 

Dick watched from the security feed as Damian woke up. His heart soared – he never thought he’d see that adorable, pouting face again. He felt the grin stretching across his face. That little boy got a second chance. The second chance he deserved. 

There was a small beep from the phone on the counter. “That’ll be Jason,” Bruce grunted. “I told him to inform me when Damian became conscious.” 

“He’d have to know you’d be watching.” Dick mumbled. They watched as Damian stared at Tim, his mouth moving slightly. A question, apparently, because Tim responded. Dick took a step forward towards the monitor. 

“You’ve got to go, Dick.” Bruce said quickly. “You need to be in the air in twenty minutes. You need to be out of here before one of them come down here. Before Alfred comes back.” 

“Please, Bruce.” Dick pleaded, raising his hand to the screen. “Please let me see him.” 

“No...” 

“Just once,” he whispered. “Just for a minute.” 

“You can’t, Dick. Not now. I’m sorry.” 

They watched as Tim sat back, as Damian turned towards Jason. They watched as the boy sat up hastily, and Tim tried to steady him. Damian was frozen, allowing the contact as Tim hugged him. Dick turned away when he saw a tear silently fall down Damian’s face. It was too much. 

“ _Sorry_ , yeah.” He muttered, wiping his hand across his eyes as he slowly made his way towards the motorcycle waiting for him. “I’m sorry, too.” 

But not sorry enough. He’d left Damian behind before; apparently he was going to be forced to do it again.


End file.
